Various types of cosmetic applicators are known in the art. Brushes or wands for applying mascara to eyelashes, for example, generally include an applicator head with a stem having a first end attached to a handle. The applicator head also includes one or more applicator elements coupled to a second end of the stem. In use, the applicator elements are loaded with mascara and applied to the eyelashes.
Conventional mascara brushes typically require manipulation of the handle or other member, and often require repeated passes of the brush across the eyelash, to completely and uniformly coat each eyelash with mascara while maintaining or promoting separation of the eyelashes from one another. To coat the entire eyelash, for example, a user may move the brush in a vertical direction to ensure that the entire eyelash is covered. In addition, a user may rotate the brush to place different portions of the brush head in contact with the eyelash, depending on the desired amount of mascara to be applied to the eyelashes. Still further, a user may also reciprocate the brush in a horizontal direction to promote separation of the eyelashes and/or to ensure better coverage of the eyelashes. Consequently, a user must provide the motive force for applying the brush to the eyelashes and must have sufficient dexterity to manipulate the brush as needed to cover the eyelashes in a satisfactory manner. In addition, mascara application with conventional brushes requires several brush passes and therefore is inefficient.
More recently, rotating mascara brushes have been proposed in which a stem of the brush is supported for rotational motion relative to the handle. The force for rotating the stem and attached brush head may be either manual, such as for the brushes described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,514 to Clay and U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,871 to Clay, or may be electrically driven, such as the brush described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,111 to Mantelet. Such brushes assist the user by automating, at least to some degree, the process of application of the mascara to the eyelash, and thereby address some of the difficulties and inefficiencies experienced with brushes where the applicator head is fixed to the handle.
It will be recognized that it is possible, under certain circumstances, for eyelashes to become bound to the applicator head or become enmeshed with the applicator elements during application of mascara. For example, as an applicator head is rotated, the eyelashes may become coupled to the applicator elements, and may begin to wrap about the applicator head. As the rotational motion of the applicator head continues, the applicator may begin to pull or tug on the eyelashes, and even on the eyelid. Automation may increase the speed at which this effect occurs, and thereby decrease the time window for the user to take corrective action.
Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a system or an article that limits the amount of force applied to eyelashes that are in contact with a rotating element of the system or article. It may also be desirable to provide a system or an article that automatically limits uncontrolled binding or enmeshment of the applicator elements and the eyelash (i.e., without user intervention). It may also be desirable to provide a system or an article that facilitates the efforts of the user while overcoming one or more of the drawbacks of conventional technology.